Ghosts, Poltergeists & Apparitions > Ghost hunters

Ghost-hunting at the Old Melbourne Gaol

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A group of renowned parapsychologists armed with electro-magnetic field detectors camp out in a 19th century prison looking for paranormal activity - sounds like a plot from the 1980s classic Ghost Busters.

But eight ghost hunters, led by British parapsychologist Darren Done, will spend tonight at the Old Melbourne Gaol to determine if the former prison truly is haunted.

The prison, the venue of 135 hangings, has long prompted rumours of spine-tingling screams and unexplained slamming of doors. Current staff at the leading Melbourne tourist attraction tell of being mysteriously shoved in the back and hearing strange footsteps in one of the offices located in a former cell.

By Saturday morning Mr Done hopes to rationalise these reported paranormal activities.

"Obviously, if you hear bumps and bangs you can begin to rationalise those, but when certain paranormal activity can manifest itself as points or orbs of light, it begins to get harder to rationalise," said Mr Done, who has analysed more than 100 suspected haunted buildings, including castles, in Britain.


"The subject is generally ignored by the scientific community and it would be really good if we could verify one of the theories on the subject. If we rationalise every event that may happen then we've still got results."

Under the eerie gaze of Ned Kelly's death mask, the team will search the jail with infrared thermometers, electro-magnetic field detectors and record on video tape sealed jail cells.

"One of the video cameras we're using has motion and temperature sensors, so if there's movement it will trigger the camera and hopefully give us some kind of result," Mr Done said. "We use the equipment to try and actually show people that there is something there. With modern technology and software a photograph is no longer enough."

Mr Done is confident the jail, built in 1842, and often described as the one of the most haunted buildings in Australia, may truly be spooked.

"With the atmosphere in the place, I'm really, really optimistic that we'll come out with something good," he said.

The group, known as Paraquest, has already captured photographs of what it believes to be paranormal activity.

"We've carried out about four or five visits and on a few frames on the digital camera we can see white shapes . . . we've got other pictures with what look like tiny frames of light."

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